Ladies Long Program

[fourclover]

Before I start, let me point out that I am a big fan of both Carolina and Yu Na. That being said...

I really don't get all the people complaining about Carolina beating Yu Na. True, Carolina had some errors on some of her jumps, but she didn't fall and she didn't pop anything. Yu Na popped a lutz, and some of her other landings weren't exactly squeaky clean. I really have no problem with how their LPs were marked. They are both very talented skaters with two very different styles and just because some people don't like Carolina's style doesn't mean she sucks! I will agree with those that say Yu Na has nicer arm movements, but geez Louise, thats just one little part of the bigger picture! Carolina has nicer looking feet, Yu Na appears not to have any idea how to point her toes. Her feet look downright ugly when she is skating. Doesn't make me dislike the overall skating. I'm just saying that if you're going to pick on Caro for wild arms, then you can't ignore Yu Na's sloppy looking feet. I really don't think that Yu Na is so much more musical than Carolina is. She picked a slower, more lyrical piece of music than Caro did, and it was lovely, but Caro did well with the interpretation of her music, too. I really like the faster, more aggressive and powerful style for her. Overall, I think the judges got the order right. If anything, I might have had Yu Na in fourth, and Yukari third, because she was just gorgeous. But really, I enjoyed all three of those ladies, they are all special and talented in their own ways and NONE of them deserve the disrespect that they have been getting from some skating fans.

I don't have anything against Carolina Kostner AND I don't have anything against judges' placement overall; afterall, Carolina won her SP and Yu-na won the FS. BUT in my eyes, Yu-na's "flaws" with her feet as you mention are nothing compared to Carolina's gawky drowning-yellow- bird style. I think nobody can skate with the soft flowing RELAXED style as Yu-na just as the Brit commentator says.

 

[SamuraiKike]

So, multiple spots for next year?? :

3: Japan

2: Italy, South Korea, Canada, Finland and USA

Switzerland only gets 1 entry because Viviane Kaser performed abismally placing at #40, right?.

 

[gold12345]

So, multiple spots for next year?? :

3: Japan

2: Italy, South Korea, Canada, Finland and USA

Switzerland only gets 1 entry because Viviane Kaser performed abismally placing at #40, right?.

This annoys me. In a field of 50+ skaters, I think if you put TWO girls in the top 10, you deserve 3 spots. Why must the magic number be 13? That seems awfully low.

 

[museksk8r]

I reckon the judging has been refreshingly spot on throughout the ladies' event. Looking at the Judges Details, I cannout find one factor that doesn't reflect what happened on the ice, at least with the top 4 finishers.

Short Program
Carolina's fully rotated jumps with the right edge (- one stepout) and the superb spiral sequence were awarded over Mao's seemingly clean program with the wrong edge on lutz and slow and wobbly spiral sequence.

Yukari wasn't held down with PCS despite her "status" being not yet comparable to the likes of Yuna and Mao.

Yuna's fall, lukewarm spiral/ step sequences were judged accordingly.

Long Program

Aside from the popped 2nd lutz, Yuna executed everything with preciseness and had refined quality. Judges awarded her accordingly.

Mao's fall, lutz with the wrong edge, and the weaker spiral seqence were penalised accordingly. The excellence of her program after the fall cannot be denied, with two 3/3 combos, fabulously intricate and musical step sequence (marks for which I would've liked to see more, especially compared to Yuna's
of lesser quality IMO) and the overall delivery of the program.

Yukari's seemingly clean performance was punished for the under-rotated axel and flip. After seeing the slow motion, I agree with the caller.

Carlina wasn't clean, but every jump was fully rotated and she did receive minus GOEs for those jumps. No complaints.

The most surprising of all was that there wasn't a large gap in PCS between the top skaters. With this fact in mind, I can't agree with people who claim so and so was held up. If anything, I was surprised Yukari's PCS was so high.

I agree with your post. My problem is with Yu-Na's and Joannie's low PCS scores. I can't make sense of that AT ALL!

 

[Wrlmy]

I agree with your post. My problem is with Yu-Na's and Joannie's low PCS scores. I can't make sense of that AT ALL!

Yeah, I didn't know a pop cost 2 pcs points for certain skaters.

 

[gold12345]

I agree with your post. My problem is with Yu-Na's and Joannie's low PCS scores. I can't make sense of that AT ALL!

PCS have turned into placeholders. They aren't based on your skating skills and choreographical abilities... they are based on how well you skate that day.

If you mess up, low PCS.

If you nail it, high PCS.

If you mess up but you are the favorite, high PCS to hold you up.

If the judges have never heard of you, low PCS.


PCS = BS

 

[gourry]

So, multiple spots for next year?? :

3: Japan

2: Italy, South Korea, Canada, Finland and USA

Switzerland only gets 1 entry because Viviane Kaser performed abismally placing at #40, right?.

What about Sarah Meier? Isn't she from Switzerland? What was her final placement?

 

[Wrlmy]

I promise this will be my last whining.
Julia Sebestyen wuz robbed!!!

 

[Saundy]

If you mess up, low PCS.

If you nail it, high PCS.

If you mess up but you are the favorite, high PCS to hold you up.

If the judges have never heard of you, low PCS.


PCS = BS

hahahahaha...this is so true!
I especially like the "PCS = BS"

 

[SamuraiKike]

What about Sarah Meier? Isn't she from Switzerland? What was her final placement?

Yes Sarah Meier is from Switzerland but as far as I'm concerned you get 2 spots if you place in the top 10 ONLY if you are the only entry for your country in the competition. When is a 2 or 3 skaters team the sum of the first 2 places is what counts so that will leave Switzerland back to 1 in 2009. Someone can please confirm this?

 

[Bruin714]

Meissner Out?

Looks like Kimmie sealed her own fate. She almost certainly will not return to Worlds now that only two spots are available for the US Ladies.

 

[ManyCairns]

Yes Sarah Meier is from Switzerland but as far as I'm concerned you get 2 spots if you place in the top 10 ONLY if you are the only entry for your country in the competition. When is a 2 or 3 skaters team the sum of the first 2 places is what counts so that will leave Switzerland back to 1 in 2009. Someone can please confirm this?

Yes, if there is a 2- or 3-member team, the top 2 skaters' placements must count.

 

[hikki]

PCS have turned into placeholders.

If you mess up but you are the favorite, high PCS to hold you up.

If the judges have never heard of you, low PCS.


PCS = BS

So with your logic, judges should've given Yukari much lower PCS to kick her out of the podium to hold Carolina up.

That didn't happen. In fact, Yukari received higher PCS.

 

[gourry]

Yes, if there is a 2- or 3-member team, the top 2 skaters' placements must count.

I'm so sorry. I'm suddenly very confused.
So, the top 2 skaters' placements are higher than 13, you get 3 spots. Right...?
And if you want to get 2 spots what placement do you need to get?

 

[Laine]

In my own logic Mao's fall which left a 20-30 second gap with NO choreography should have kept her off the top spot of the podium. She was held up by the judges in this respect, touch downs on jumps is one thing but when you have a gapping hole in your program that's another. PC was used as a place holder for her in this event.

 

[ManyCairns]

Looks like Kimmie sealed her own fate. She almost certainly will not return to Worlds now that only two spots are available for the US Ladies.

I wonder if Kimmie will want to return at all, how much fire she will still have for skating. I hope she does -- I enjoy her skating and think she continues to improve all the time in the non-jump aspects. I'd love to see her get her jumps back, as well.

Also, our young(er) guns haven't gone through their own growth spurts -- who knows how they'll fare when they do, and if they'll have difficulties, and want to keep skating despite them, as Kimmie has.

But Kimmie's Worlds victory is now 2 seasons ago. I admire her for staying in this long; will she want to continue if she's not seeing the victories in the big competitions?

She may have new hope/energy with the move to Callaghan, so she may be around at least another season. But I wonder if she'll want to do even that.

Of course, she may still feel like there's nothing else she really wants to do besides skating, and keep on with it for that reason. (Which I guess may be part of Fumie's sticking around so long -- sheer love of the sport but also a feeling that there's nothing else she'd rather be doing anyway, even if the skating's not what it once was.)

 

[Skye]

Yes Sarah Meier is from Switzerland but as far as I'm concerned you get 2 spots if you place in the top 10 ONLY if you are the only entry for your country in the competition. When is a 2 or 3 skaters team the sum of the first 2 places is what counts so that will leave Switzerland back to 1 in 2009. Someone can please confirm this?

Switzerland still has 2 spots next year. Skaters who don't qualify for the free skate get 18 points and that with Sarah Meier's 6th place adds up to 24.

 

[Skye]

So with your logic, judges should've given Yukari much lower PCS to kick her out of the podium to hold Carolina up.

That didn't happen. In fact, Yukari received higher PCS.

Yukari brought the house down, and she is less than a point ahead of Kostner. Yu-Na, who also had a mesmerizing performance, had PCS almost identical to Kostner. I know Carolina has good basics and her speed is second to none, but she certainly did not deserve such high marks in any category other than Skating Skills. Judges DO use PCS to hold up certain skaters.

 

[Wrlmy]

Kinda interesting and feel bad that all of Carolina's placements this season have been controversial. I hope she will be proud of having the best season in her career and keep the momentum going into next season.

 

[pista04]

Also, our young(er) guns haven't gone through their own growth spurts -- who knows how they'll fare when they do, and if they'll have difficulties, and want to keep skating despite them, as Kimmie has.

Nagasu grew like, what? 4 inches over the past year? Whatever she did to keep training definitely worked. =]